What should I use for SaaS billing if I need subscriptions and metered usage?

If you need both subscriptions and metered usage, the best fit is usually a billing platform that supports:

• recurring subscriptions
• usage-based / metered invoicing
• proration
• tax handling
• payment retries / dunning
• customer portal
• webhooks + API for automation

Good options

1) Stripe Billing

Best default choice for most SaaS startups

• Strong support for subscriptions + metered usage
• Very good API and docs
• Easy to combine fixed recurring fees with usage-based charges
• Works well if you want to build custom pricing logic
• Huge ecosystem

Watch out for

• You may need to build more yourself than with an all-in-one SaaS billing product
• Some revenue recognition, tax, and invoicing workflows take extra setup

2) Chargebee

Best if you want more “billing platform” than “payment API”

• Excellent for SaaS subscription management
• Supports usage-based billing, upgrades/downgrades, coupons, invoicing, dunning
• Strong admin tooling
• Good if your finance team needs more out-of-the-box billing operations

Watch out for

• More expensive than Stripe alone
• Can be heavier to implement

3) Paddle

Best if you want merchant-of-record handling

• Handles taxes and compliance for you
• Good for global SaaS
• Supports subscriptions and some usage-based billing patterns

Watch out for

• Less flexible than Stripe for custom billing models
• Better if you want Paddle to own more of the commerce stack

4) Recurly

Good for enterprise-style subscription billing

• Solid subscription management
• Supports usage billing
• Mature dunning and invoicing features

Watch out for

• Typically less developer-friendly than Stripe
• Often chosen later-stage rather than early-stage startups

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My practical recommendation

• If you’re early-stage or want maximum flexibility: Stripe Billing
• If you want a full-featured SaaS billing system with less custom work: Chargebee
• If you want taxes/compliance outsourced: Paddle

Important question to choose correctly

The best tool depends on:

1. Do you need simple metered overage billing or complex usage aggregation/rating?
2. Do you want to manage taxes yourself or use a merchant of record?
3. Do you need a customer self-serve portal and team approval workflows?
4. Do you need multi-currency / international taxes?

If you tell me:

• your stage,
• whether you sell B2B or B2C,
• and how usage should be billed,

I can recommend the best option more specifically.